@Medicare e-newsletter Volume 1 Issue 1

@Medicare
Volume 1 Issue 1

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The periodic e-newsletter from MCOL for anyone interested in joining or learning more about Medicare HMOs and other Medicare Plan coverage. Visit the Medicare HMO Web Site: http://www.medicarehmo.com

IN THIS ISSUE

A. In the News

B. Medicare HMO Withdrawal Information

C. Medicare Supplement Plan Information

D. Medicare HMO On-Line Survey

E. Medicare Books for Consumers

F. Medicare HMO Web Site Announcements

--------------------------

A. IN THE NEWS

News links provided may only be active for a limited time

1. Clinton seeks more Medicare spending

2. Bill to Expand Medicare Pap Test Coverage

3. Medicare Rx Plans Should Meet 3-Point Test

4. Prescription Drug Coverage for Seniors on Medicare

5. Medicare to pay doctors for actual expense of drugs

6. Risk adjustment for Medicare patients may unfairly compensate health plans

1. **Clinton seeks more Medicare spending**

Hospitals and other health care providers would get $21 billion more from Medicare over the next five years, under a proposal President Clinton is planning to send to Congress soon.

Washington Post, June 20, 2000

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/health/latestap/A24959-2000Jun20.html

2. **Bill to Expand Medicare Pap Test Coverage**

Rep. E. Clay Shaw, Jr., R-Fla., today announced his sponsorship of legislation that would provide annual Pap test coverage for all Medicare women.

PRNewswire, June 19, 2000

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/06-19-2000/0001246293&EDATE=3.

**Medicare Rx Plans Should Meet 3-Point Test**

Any Medicare prescription drug benefit proposal considered by Congress should meet a three-point test including sense of urgency, and enhance patient safety according to testimony by the head of the nation's largest community pharmacy organization.

PRNewswire, June 13, 2000

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/06-13-2000/0001242003&EDATE=

4. **Prescription Drug Coverage for Seniors on Medicare**

The Century Foundation Releases New Idea Brief in Ideas2000 Series: Prescription drugs play a critical role in health care for older Americans, especially the chronically ill. Yet the nation's health insurance program for the elderly and disabled, Medicare, currently provides no coverage for most outpatient prescription drugs.

PRNewswire, June 9, 2000

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/06-09-2000/0001239467&EDATE=

5. **Medicare to pay doctors for actual expense of drugs**

Medicare officials said Thursday that they will move to stop doctors and other medical providers from billing Medicare for more than they actually pay for a list of about 50 cancer and lung disease drugs.

USA Today, June 2, 2000

http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000602/2323882s.htm

6. **Risk adjustment for Medicare patients may unfairly compensate health plans**

A health policy analyst says that because of discretionary admissions for conditions like congestive heart failure, risk-adjustment may reward plans that hospitalize more liberally while penalizing more conservative plans

Effective Clinical Practice, May/June 2000 highlights

http://www.eurekalert.org/releases/acp-ecp060500.html

--------------------------

B. MEDICARE HMO WITHDRAWAL INFORMATION

A report is available in the Medicare HMO web site with current information regarding announcements from plans intending to withdraw from specific markets, and articles about this issue. You can review the report at:

http://www.medicarehmo.com/mrepnr01.htm

The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) is responsible for administering the health benefits under Medicare for Medicare beneficiaries. This includes both original Medicare and Medicare+Choice Plans established under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (managed care plans, formerly know as Medicare Risk Plans).

HCFA requires all Medicare+Choice Plans to submit their 2001 changes to service areas and plans of benefits by July 3, 2000. These changes will be effective January 1, 2001. The plan changes will be available at the HCFA website (hcfa.gov) starting in mid-July or you can call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) after mid-July for information about a specific Medicare+Choice Plan.

If you are currently a member of a Medicare+Choice Plan your plan must notify you in writing of any changes in benefits or service area reductions no later than October 2, 2000.

The Medicare HMO web site report contains plan announcements from recent press articles and links to these articles, links to the HCFA website pertaining to Plan Withdrawals and other related articles regarding plan changes for 2001

Plan Withdrawal Announcements provided in the report include:

*Medicare HMO Exits Announced--Providence Health Plan

*Cigna Phasing Out Medicare HMOs

*Medicare Drug Provider Choice Narrows Again--Chicago

*PacifiCare Health Systems Announces Exit From Ohio and Kentucky Markets

*Aetna Cutting Medicare HMO Coverage

*Carefirst Bluecross Blueshield To Freeze Medi-Carefirst Hmo Enrollment

Other articles and information provided in the report includes:

*HCFA Information About Plan Withdrawals For 2001

*Seniors Rally To Urge Washington To Protect Medicare Choices

*AAHP (American Association of Health Plans)--Policy Brief

*Seniors Who Max Out Drug Benefits Often Quit Medicare Managed Care

*Medicare Tries To Curb HMO Closures--The Clinton Administration

*Medicare HMO Shakeout

*HMOs' Exit From Medicare Squeezing Seniors

--------------------------

C. MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT PLAN INFORMATION

A report is available in the Medicare HMO web site with current Medicare Supplement Insurance information, issues and links. You can review the report at:

http://www.medicarehmo.com/mrepmgap.htm

The report includes the following sections:

1. Consumer Reports Rates Medicare HMOs And Medigap Policies

2.Variations in Medigap Premiums

3. Regional Office Medigap Contacts

4. Medicare Health Plan Compare

5. Medigap Compare

6. Ten Standardized Medigap Plans (includes a table with enrollment by plan)

7. Medigap Compare - Standardized Medigap Plans

8. Frequently Asked Questions - Top 20 Medicare/Medicaid Questions and Answers

9. Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare, 2000 Edition

10. Medicare Health Plans Non-Renewal Fact Sheet

--------------------------

D. MEDICARE HMO ON-LINE SURVEY

If you haven’t done so already, please do take our Medicare HMO On-Line Poll. The topic of our current poll is Medicare HMO drug coverage:

http://www.medicarehmo.com/mchmpoll.htm

Results will be announced in a future issue of @Medicare

--------------------------

E. MEDICARE BOOKS FOR CONSUMERS

Do check out ours convenient menu of popular consumer and professional books available through Amazon that address general Medicare and Medicare managed care issues:

http://www.medicarehmo.com/mchmbook.htm

--------------------------

F. MEDICARE HMO WEB SITE ANNOUNCEMENTS

Here’s some of the key features in the Medicare HMO web site that have recently been updated:

*Daily News*

http://www.medicarehmo.com/mchmnews.htm

*Search for Medicare Plans*

http://www.medicarehmo.com/mchmsrch.htm

*Web Link Directory*

http://www.medicarehmo.com/mcweb.htm

*Managed Care Fact Sheets*

http://www.medicarehmo.com/mcmnu.htm

*Medicare HMO Reports*

http://www.medicarehmo.com/mdmnu.htm

The Reports menu includes the following items:

*HMO Withdrawals as of January 2001

*Medicare Supplement (MediGap) Information

*Medicare+ Choice Enrollment by Plan Contract Area

*Medicare+ Choice Enrollment by Healthcare Organization

*Medicare+ Choice Enrollment Penetration by State

*HMO Cancellations January 1 2000

*MedicareHMO.com Registrant Demographics

@Medicare is for registered visitors to the Medicare HMO web site and opt-in members of Managed Care On-Line. To register for your free subscription to @Medicare go to http://www.medicarehmo.com/regemchm.htm . Copyright 2000, MCOL. All rights reserved.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MCOL is the Internet’s leading business-to-business managed care resource company. For more information about MCOL, go to http://www.mcol.com/about.htm

Return to Medicare HMO Front Page

Medicare HMO is brought to you by MCOL, positioning you for a new kind of health care